A clinical study of clinical cure after the addition of interferon therapy in chronic hepatitis B patients with low-level HBsAg previously treated with nucleos(t)ide analogues / 临床肝胆病杂志

ABSTRACT

ObjectiveTo investigate the population with an advantage of clinical cure previously treated with nucleos(t)ide analogues (NAs), and to provide more methods for clinicians in pursuing the clinical cure of hepatitis B. MethodsA total of 42 chronic hepatitis B patients with low-level HBsAg who received NAs treatment in Hebi Third People’s Hospital from October 2017 to October 2019 were enrolled as subjects and divided into combination treatment group (group A) and NA monotherapy group (group B). The 22 subjects in group A were treated with NAs combined with PEG-IFN antiviral therapy for 48 weeks, and some patients withdrew from PEG-IFN after 24 weeks and continued to receive NA monotherapy, while the 20 subjects in group B received NA antiviral therapy alone. Both groups were observed till week 48, and the five makers for hepatitis B were measured to evaluate clinical outcome. The t-test was used for comparison of continuous data between two groups, and the Fisher’s exact test was used for comparison of categorical data between two groups; a multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to perform a multivariate analysis. ResultsCompared with group B at the 48-week treatment endpoint, group A had significantly higher HBsAg clearance rate (45.5% vs 0, P＜0.01) and HBsAg seroconversion rate (31.8% vs 0, P＜0.01). The population with HBsAg ＜1000 IU/ml, ＜500 IU/ml, ＜100 IU/ml, and ＜10 IU/ml had an HBsAg clearance rate of 52.6%, 61.5%, 66.7%, and 100%, respectively, and the population with an HBsAg level of 500-1000 IU/ml, 100-500 IU/ml, 10-100 IU/ml, and ＜10 IU/ml had an HBsAg clearance rate of 33.3%, 50%, 40%, and 100%, respectively. The 4 patients with baseline HBsAg ＜10 IU/ml (accounting for 18.2% in group A) achieved clinical cure at week 12 of combined treatment, and after observation to week 48, 2 patients had an anti-HBs level of ＞100 IU/ml and 2 had an anti-HBs level of ＞1000 IU/ml. The multivariate logistic regression analysis of HBsAg clearance showed that age at the initiation of combined treatment affected HBsAg clearance (odds ratio ［OR］=0.877, 95% confidence interval ［CI］: 0.781-0.985, P=0.026), and most of the patients with HBsAg clearance had an age of 36-49 (44.20±4.49) years; baseline HBsAg level also had an impact on HBsAg clearance (OR=0.996, 95% CI: 0.992-1.000, P=0.050). ConclusionThe addition of interferon therapy in chronic hepatitis B patients with low-level HBsAg previously treated with NAs can significantly improve the clinical cure rate. The younger the age and the lower the HBsAg level, the shorter the duration of combined treatment. Age and baseline HBsAg level are more important than the duration and type of NA medication.